“Hahaha! Are you saying that’s all these little brats can do? Give them more strength!!”
Mina and Eugene Schneider brought a cartload of supplies and distributed them door to door to the children in the slums.
After finishing all that work, we gathered together to eat, and after eating, we started playing with the children.
We played tag and pretend play.
Right now, Eugene is playing tug-of-war with the guys alone.
“Keuhhhh! You’re so strong!”
“Look here, mister!!”
"Nonsense! The world is a competitive society. You guys need to learn to compete from the start, you guys!"
Dragging, dragging, dragging!
Eugene dragged around the little ones who were hanging from thick ropes.
The sight of the children being dragged around helplessly was truly pitiful.
A truly iron-willed appearance,
But that's really how Eugene Schneider plays.
Anyway, Mina would have already shown her soft and fluffy appearance enough.
Eugene Schneider himself wants to teach these little rascals the harsh realities of life.
“Wow~ Mr. Eugene is really strong! Look over there, unnie. All the big guys are getting dragged away!”
“Really? Is it really that great?”
Margaret was so shocked by Eugene's efforts that she went crazy for the first time.
Of course, it was Eugene Schneider who had given me a ride on his shoulder at their first meeting.
The sight of him dragging nearly 20 children around on a rope is a superpower that cannot be compared to that.
Margaret can't help but be surprised to see that even the little ones who usually worked hard in the slums are now falling like autumn leaves.
Then, Mina, who was hugging Margaret from behind, cheered loudly and sympathized with Margaret's excitement.
“Wow~ These kids have incredible stamina~”
After playing with the children for a while, Eugene sat down on the table where Margaret and Mina had been sitting.
Eugene Schneider, the Sword Expert Awakener, takes a deep breath.
But the children in the distance, despite being dragged around by Eugene, quickly recovered their strength and were playing among themselves.
And Margaret, who had been chatting with Mina until just before, joined the group of children and started playing around like crazy.
"Thanks to you, Eugene, I'm feeling much better today. Normally, I'd be the one sighing so heavily right now. Here, wipe off the sweat with this towel."
Swish...!
Mina handed a towel to Eugene.
Because she can completely understand his desperate state.
As Mina said, if things were normal, it would have been Mina herself who would have been playing with those energetic kids.
Playing with children is more difficult than being a blacksmith.
Still, whenever she came to do relief work or volunteer work, she couldn't neglect it.
What children in the slums need is not only relief supplies but also the attention and affection of outsiders.
Because such encounters and connections serve as seeds of hope for these children, preventing them from being consumed by the darkness of the slums.
“Hahaha! Thank you, Mina!”
Eugene whined loudly as he received the towel Mina gave him.
“And Eugene, about earlier... I’m sorry...”
Afterwards, Eugene cleaned up his appearance by wiping his face and the back of his neck with a towel.
Mina, who had been looking at him silently, apologized in a cautious tone.
“Huh? What happened earlier?”
Eugene asked back with a puzzled expression.
“Margaret lied... When I asked Margaret, she said she did it because she wanted to show off to the kids how close she was to Eugene... She’s a child who really likes attention...”
It was an apology for making Eugene say that he was her boyfriend.
For the first time in a month or so, Margaret felt herself at the center of a group of slum children.
I was busy being young, but thanks to Eugene Schneider and Mina, I got all the attention and attention.
So Eugene Schneider lied and said he was Mina's boyfriend.
Then, you can further appeal to the closeness between yourself and Eugene Schneider.
"Haha! Why are you apologizing for something like that? If you're going to be that picky, then I should be the one apologizing. I publicly admitted it without Mina's consent."
But Eugene waved his hand.
“Um... that is...”
Mina hesitated at Eugene's wave of her hand.
‘Eugene is a nobleman and I am from the underground city, so of course I should feel sorry...’
Because for Mina, it's not a typical relationship between a man and a woman.
If it were a normal relationship between a man and a woman, Eugene's words would definitely make sense.
However, if Eugene acknowledges their friendship, Mina will be grateful for the favor.
The words lingered in Mina's mind, but she couldn't bring herself to say them.
“I told you when I came here that I had something to tell you separately, Mina.”
At that moment, this time Eugene said something.
“Yes, that’s right. At first glance, it sounded like pretty good news.”
As they were preparing to head to the outskirts of the castle where the slums were located after finishing their preparations in Pangea, Eugene hinted to Mina that he had something to say to her directly.
Mina is reacting like this now because the nuance was quite positive.
"It's not so much good news as it is a suggestion, which I hope will be good news. So, what it is: Our Red Fox Mercenary Corps is considering establishing a mercenary village. And I'd like to propose that you, Mina, be invited there."
It was none other than Jeanne's dream,
It was a story about Yongmyeong Village.
In this Alexandria Expedition quest, the Red Fox Mercenaries received much more quest money than expected.
In addition, routes for performing high-quality quests have been secured.
So she began to formulate and implement a plan to establish a Red Fox Mercenary Village in earnest.
The first step is to recruit Mina, who can perfectly fulfill the role of blacksmith, a key figure in the village.
“Me???”
Mina's eyes widened in surprise at Eugene's words.
I had heard from another Red Fox mercenary group I was friendly with that Mina also wanted to create a mercenary village.
If we are to explicitly refer to the Red Fox mercenary who had that conversation with her, it would be Marie.
However, the fact that Jeanne, the exclusive blacksmith of the mercenary village, was considering Mina was a fact known only to Jeanne herself and Eugene.
So, in fact, this is the first time Mina has heard of the offer to become a blacksmith exclusively for the mercenary village.
"Yes. Our leader truly wants a mercenary group that feels like family. For that to happen, we need to create an environment where all the village members can settle down. A village needs to be formed, and the current mercenaries can start families there. That would require a dedicated blacksmith for the village. I think it would be great if Mina, with her strong sense of responsibility and skill, could fill that role."
Eugene explained Jeanne's proposal to Mina with a somewhat serious and earnest expression and tone of voice.
Originally, Jeanne had planned to meet Mina and ask her in person.
However, Eugene suggested that for the sake of persuasion, it would be better to bring it out during the slum volunteer work today.
So, it was Eugene Schneider who was entrusted with the sole responsibility of persuading Mina from Jeanne and was carrying out this mission.
The Blacksmith of the Mercenary Village...
Mina was lost in thought as she listened to Eugene's explanation.
"That was a truly fascinating thing to hear from Marie."
This is because she is quite fond of the position of being the exclusive blacksmith of the mercenary village.
Among blacksmiths, there are those who hate being tied down, and those who welcome people who share their views.
The former is the case for very high-level craftsmen or even career-oriented blacksmiths.
If you become a blacksmith in the mercenary village, your income will be stable, but your high score will be significantly lower.
But Mina isn't the type of blacksmith who wants high scores.
‘I thought I could care for the children more reliably there.’
Mina hopes that her blacksmithing skills and the money she earns from them will help the slum children she has worked so hard to care for so that they can grow up well.
Looking at it through her eyes, she thought that if she became the exclusive blacksmith of a mercenary village made up of stable and kind people, wouldn't she be able to do that precious job even better?
‘Oh, just as Mari said, Mina is really positive.’
Eugene looked at Mina's face, which had become more thoughtful, and his eyes sparkled slightly.
Because when he saw her, Mina seemed to be drawn to his proposal.
When Jeanne told her Red Fox mercenary comrades that she was going to promote the mercenary village and suggest that Mina become a dedicated blacksmith, Marie instinctively recalled the reaction Mina had shown her in the past.
Mina, who had heard about Jeanne's plan for a mercenary village from Marie's own experience, said that she thought it was a very meaningful and good plan.
Eugene, who had heard Marie's words beforehand, came here, so he made the suggestion cautiously, yet with a certain degree of confidence, in understanding Mina's intentions.
“Are you thinking, Mina, of possibly having the children there with you?”
And Eugene knew exactly what Mina was feeling.
Because I know her tendencies all too well.
“Yes... that’s right, Eugene. That’s why I’m working so hard right now.”
Mina nodded slowly in agreement to Eugene's question.
"The village being considered as our mercenary corps' mercenary village is near Jebodang, the location of the previous quest. Actually, I've already discussed your thoughts with them. They seem to be very receptive. So I'm confident that your wishes will come true."
Eugene was entrusted by Jeanne to fly to the headquarters to persuade people and understand the situation.
Because Jebodang Village is so remote, there was no influx of people for a long time.
So, with the formation of the mercenary village, there was a very positive reaction to children coming in.
"I see. Thank you for preparing it so meticulously. I really don't know what to do with myself, Eugene."
“Haha! When you’re recruiting important people, that kind of effort is essential!”
Mina felt Eugene's preparedness and was impressed and surprised.
"I would be truly honored and happy if you would invite me to such a wonderful place. My skills may be limited, but I will do my best to ensure the success of the Red Fox Mercenary Village."
So Mina accepted the position of exclusive blacksmith at the Red Fox Mercenary Village.
“That’s really well thought out! Thank you, Mina!”
Thud!
Eugene was so happy with Mina's decision that he grabbed her hand and thanked her.
Blink...!
Then, Mina looked at Eugene, who seemed to be in a truly innocent and happy mood, and smiled warmly.
And the appearance of the two people
‘Well, I guess that was discussed.’
Someone was hiding from a distance and watching.
‘Anyway, that Eugene Schneider guy is really good at fucking women’s hearts…’
It was Jeanne.
Jealous Jeanne secretly chases Eugene Schneider like a burglar.
I was observing the scene.